“We’re focusing on supports for the students, especially during this transitional year,” Gurley continued.

According to the preliminary test data released earlier this year by the Illinois Standard Achievement Test, 57.5 percent or 137,143 CPS students did not meet satisfactory standards on reading and math exams.

Several concerned educational activists stepped forward to voice their concerns about the policy as the meeting continued.

“The proposed policy continues to misuse standardized test scores,” said educational activist Jennie Biggs with organization More Than A Score, during the meeting.

“Assessment professionals are clear that single test scores are not reliable or adequate measures of student progress and should not be used for high stakes decisions,” she said. “The tests were not designed for that purpose and should not be used that way.”

Biggs continued, “The current policy says that for student promotion decisions, test scores should be just one of the many factors considered and probably should receive less weight than factors such as teacher observation, day-to-day classroom performance, maturity level and attitude.”